You Found Me
by ForeverisGone13
Summary: There were no books, no movies. Tolkien never came up with Middle Earth, and that story is left untold. But that never meant it didn't exist, instead being a place that existed on this earth thousands of years ago.Carter Hanes is about to find that out.
1. Chapter 1

**Sorry for the short and not too great summary! Anyway, hope you like it, and enjoy ;)!**

**Chapter 1**

…_..."Crashed on the floor when I moved in, _

_this little bungalow with some strange new friends, _

_stay up too late and I'm too thin,_

_we promised each other it's until the end!"_

"OH MY FRIGGIN' JESUS!", I screamed, falling off my bed as my alarm clock radio went off. Landing with a thump, I tried not to let loose the stream of cuss words that were about to escape my mouth. But unfortunately I failed.

"That hurt like a damn mother fucker! Ouch, ouch, fucking ouch!" Wincing from the fall, I groaned._ 'What a way to start the morning...'_

Getting shakily to my feet, I glanced at the alarm clock and did a double take.

"Holy shit! It's already 6:30! Damn!" I had to be at school by 7:15! Rushing, I tore off my pajamas and leaped into the shower, washing my hair and getting out about 5 minutes later. Half blow drying it, I furiously brushed it, trying to tame the tangled mess. Brushing my teeth, I threw some clothes on and rushed downstairs.

I saw my mom sitting leisurely at the table, sipping her coffee. Staring at her, I nearly tore my hair our. "I'm gonna be late, why didn't you wake me up when I didn't come down sooner!" Ugh.

Looking calmly up at me, she sighed. "Carter...it's Saturday." Her eyes, exactly like mine, twinkled with humor. Her auburn hair was cut short, but it worked for her. She was smiling, but she was looking so tired lately. The dark circles under her eyes stood out profoundly on her face, and a twinge of guilt and worry formed in my stomach.

But I broke out of my reverie, just standing there, my mouth agape. Oh HELL no. Turning then, I proceeded to bang my head against the wall three times, and when I was satisfied that I'd beaten some sense into my skull, I trudged back upstairs.

Slamming the door, I threw myself down on my bed, and screamed profanities into a pillow. Poor pillow, it's innocence would be ruined now. Worst of all, after rushing so much, I could no longer sleep. Might as well just get up.

Moving at a slower pace now, I went into the bathroom and done what I would've done on a normal, non-rushed morning. Applying some dark makeup, I took five minutes to style my shoulder-length dark hair. Going back into my room, I picked out a hoodie to put on over my t-shirt.

Going back downstairs, I went into the kitchen to make myself some cereal. My mom had left, leaving a note that she was doing some errands, so I was alone. It was sunny, but as I looked out the window, I saw dark clouds building up on the horizon. Being a lover of storms, this made me grin, my blue eyes lighting up.

Feeling something rub against my leg, I looked down to see my cat Chess purring up at me. Smiling, I absentmindedly stroked him. After a few minutes of this, I got up and exited the house into the backyard. It was decent-sized, with a flower garden in the back. There was a fence just past that, and then the earth sloped down, a sort of hill like structure. There was a rock jetty at the bottom, keeping the river than flowed past from flooding. It was a beautiful sight, but it also meant that the storm would hit harder here. The air was oppressive and humid, filled with the suspense of a fast-approaching storm. Something seemed different about this storm though, more ominous somehow.

Shivering despite the humidity, I decided to go back inside. Closing the door firmly behind me, I heard wind rattle the windows. Going up to my room, I looked at the alarm and saw that it was now 7:40.

Sighing, I was about to go back to sleep, when I thought of how much homework I had. I had more than enough time to do it, but it would be nice to get it over with, even this early. After all, after rushing around, I really wasn't tired. Picking up my back pack off the floor, I decided to work on my English report. The due date had been looming closer and closer for weeks as I delayed doing it, seeing as I wasn't very fond of that class.

Dumping the contents of my bag onto the bed, I reached for my report folder. Inside it was a sheet of the guidelines for the project. It was actually fairly easy. We had to write a short story, picking a genre, and writing at least a few pages. I smiled at this, because I actually didn't mind reading an writing. The problem was, I didn't have any inspiration at the moment.

Closing the folder, I put the contents spilled on my bed back into the bag. Suddenly sleepy, I flopped down on my bed and closed my eyes, falling asleep to the sound of the light drizzle that had just started to fall.

~Unknown POV~

As he ran, the sound of thunder echoed off in the distance. Climbing a tree, he looked up and his eyes saw the dark clouds rolling in on the horizon. They were huge and thick, blue lightning illuminating them for mere seconds. The air was heavy and hot, as it always was before a storm.

There was something odd about this storm though. It wasn't like all the others, which were usually not very violent. There was something foreboding about this one, something dangerous, some disaster just waiting to happen.

A strong and icy wind ripped through the trees, but it didn't bother him much as he climbed back down and proceeded to run. He had been assigned to the afternoon/evening scouting shift, which would take him a few hours. Even if the storm hit during this, he could not stop, just in case _those things_ were lurking around.

Glancing up at the sky again, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. The storm was much closer now, moving at an abnormal speed that he hadn't seen any storms move with before. Shaking his head, he quickened his pace, trying to clear the worries from his mind.

Earlier, he had heard others talking in hushed tones of the storm. He had even seen worry in his father's eyes, and he was rarely worried by anything.

There was still a little sun there for now though, it's bright sunlight straining to shine through the dark foliage. He saw other figures moving through the trees, scouts heading in a different direction. _'They must be headed for the river...hopefully it won't flood when the storm decides to unleash...'_

"BRIIIIIIIIIING! BRIIIIIIING!" My cellphone rang, full volume. And guess what?

It was right next to my ear.

Grumbling, I blinked open my eyes and fumbled a little before flipping it open. Looking at the number, I instantly brightened and picked up. "Hey Grace! I haven't heard from you for ages!" But my heart instantly dropped when I heard shouting in the background, and crashing noises.

Grace's voice came out in a choked sob, and I knew she was trying hard not to cry. "It's my d-dad. He'd drunk again...can you...?" She couldn't continue, silent as the screams continued.

"Yeah, sure Grace. I'll be right over." Hanging up, I got up and threw on a hoodie. Checking the time, I realized it was now 6:30 in the evening(man that was a long nap!), so dinner would be soon. I had to hurry, or else my mom would catch me. The day before she had been jumpy about the weather reports, not wanting me to go outside that much. Especially at night.

Quietly, I tip-toed across my room an opened the door, closing it quietly behind me. Likewise tip-toeing down the hallway, I made my way down the stairs, stepping over the third one because it always creaked. Praying that my mom wasn't in the living room, I peeked around the wall at the bottom of the stairs, breathing a sigh of relief when I saw it was empty. _She's probably upstairs sleeping...her job as a nurse is really busy these days...especially with dad gone..._

Walking up to the door, I opened it, met with a blast of cold wind. Shivering, I decided not to go back for a jacket. There was no time. Bracing myself, I stepped out, closing the door behind erupted on my arms, and any other exposed skin including my face. Teeth chattering, I ran down the driveway and turned right, continuing to run down the street.

Grace's house was a few blocks away, I'd been there so many times that not even the dark and the wind could make me lose my way. I was shivering violently, the cold biting and stinging my skin. It wasn't until after 5 minutes of this that it really started to rain, not just the fine drizzle I had fallen asleep to. I saw lightning flash, and thunder break out against the dark sky.

Finally, I spotted her house. It was large, the lawn finely groomed. From the outside, it looked like a well off and respectable. Even on the inside, it was rich and well-furnished, nothing out of place. It was the parents that were the problem. Grace's father was a lawyer, he appeared to be content with his life, and whenever someone came over he seemed fine.

But when only his family was there to witness, he would become so drunk that he didn't seem to recognize his own family. He would become angry, and lose himself completely. His wife was powerless to stop him, and usually cowered somewhere while he took out his anger on Grace. Whenever one of his buisness partners or someone called, asking for him, Grace would have to make up excuses. Those included things like, "Oh, he's in the shower", or "Sorry, he's out right now." Anything to keep anyone from knowing the truth.

And guess what? I would never have known any of this, if I hadn't witnessed it myself. It was after I first met Grace, years ago, and I went over to her house for the first time in the evening. Everything had seemed quiet, until I opened the door. I heard loud noises, and I just assumed it was the television. Going to the living room, I found it empty, and the television was off. I frowned, thinking that was weird.

The noises seemed to be coming from another part of the house, and I started to get worried. I checked all the rooms, and I was right about to go upstairs, when I passed the dining room, the doors to it wide open. There, against the wall, was Grace, tears running down her face. Her father was shouting at her, and her mother was in a corner, also crying but doing nothing.

I remember being so shocked, being so angry, as I saw him throw a wine bottle past her head, shattering against a wall. I barely new the girl then, but none the less, what he had done was just _wrong._

Looking around me, I saw a fire alarm on the wall next to me. Without thinking, I pulled the lever. He turned and as he was distracted, I nodded at Grace, and she ran towards me. Without looking back, I grabbed her hand, and we both ran. Down hallways, and through rooms, we ran. Making it to the front door, I opened it and without bothering to close it, sprinted away, dragging Grace along with me. I'd had my hoodie on, with my hood up that night, so he never found out that it was me.

All these years, whenever he was drunk, I'd come get her, no matter where or when it was. Even when she didn't call, I had begun to go to call her every night, checking to see if she was alright.

Usually, she'd ride the bus home with me, after school or have sleepovers with me whenever she could. When she was home, she'd lock herself up in her room, and I would come over a lot. That was because her father wasn't drunk when guests were over, and if he was, he'd usually be in his room and leave Grace alone.

Even now, I stood in front of her house. Bracing myself, I was about to barge through the door, or do whatever I had to do, to get to her. I even climbed the ivy that used to run up the side of their house to get to her third story window.

But no matter how much I wanted to, I knew barging in through the front door would be a bad idea. Even drunk her dad could probably beat me to a pulp. Sneaking around to the back yard, I gazed around, making sure there was no one there. It was a small backyard, and like mine, there was a slope at the end, with a jetty and then the river at the bottom. I planned to attempt to climb the tree that grew alongside their back wall. There was a few windows I could climb in through, and making a split-second decision, I chose the third story window, her room's window.

But before I could walk towards the tree, I saw the back door fly open, a small figure stumbling and running out of it. I recognized it to be Grace, her long blonde hair flying behind her, whipping around in the wind. Tears were streaming down her face, and there was fear in her expression.

A second later, I saw her father exit the house, stumbling around and running after her. I caught her in my arms, as she collapsed into them. New-forming bruises covered her, and she had a few cuts also. Rage, built up, boiling up inside of me. Clenching my fists, I turned away, fighting down the desire to break his face.

Grabbing Grace's hand, I started to back-up, unaware of where I was going. Her father was closing in, and the yard was surrounded by a fence that would take too much time to get over. And It wasn't until that second that I saw what was grasped in the man's hand. It was a broken wine bottle, the ends jagged, sharp, and lethal. He was swinging it around, and if it was thrown at us, we wouldn't have time to dodge it.

We were trapped.

There was only one place we could go. Praying that it was the right decision, I wrapped my arms around Grace, and fell backward. The breath was knocked out of me, as I hit the slope, and we started to slide down it, gaining speed by the second. I was careful to keep Grace on top of me, so she wouldn't get hurt.

Even as we hit the slippery rocks of the jetty, I was glad that she wouldn't get too hurt. I had always been the tougher one, physically and mentally. I felt myself scrape against the rocks, my head hitting one. My vision blurred, as we hit the water. We were instantly pulled into the current, the dark water swirling around us and trying to suck us down.

I panicked then, knowing this river would pull us into the ocean, because we lived very close to the coast. I grasped Grace even tighter, trying to keep both our heads above water. My limbs were becoming numb, and the sound of thunder and lightning pounded in my head. Water filled my lungs and my eyes, making me choke and gasp for air that I was barely able to get.

Next thing I knew, I looked around us and saw where the river finally exited into the ocean. The current became so violent that I thought my limbs would be ripped from me. But no matter what, I would not let go of Grace. Even as my muscles started to shake from exhaustion, I thrust her head above the surface. My vision kept blurring, but each shock of cold water kept me conscious. I tried to swim out of the rip tide current, but it was no use.

Looking ahead, my heart froze at the sight in front of me. The water was swirling around faster and faster, forming a whirlpool. Trying not to freak out, I tried my best to get away. But it just kept pulling us in, a like some hungry monster. As were were sucked into it, swirling faster and faster, I felt a weird sensation. It was a warping, twisting feeling, as if a ripple was passing through everything.

The clouds seemed to swirl above us, the lightning making everything glow, as stars exploded behind my eyes. I was only holding onto Grace's hand now, and I felt it slipping out of my grasp. With one last effort I tightened my grip on her small hand, even as the whole world went black.

**Did you like, hate, love, loathe it? Constructive critiscm is appreciated, no flaming! Hopefully won't be a mary sue-fic, but if it starts sounding like one for some reason, tell me! Thanks :) BTW if you have any questions please ask**


	2. Chapter 2

**Second chapter! Hope you like ^^.**

**Chapter 2**

I was floating. Opening my eyes, I quickly closed them when they filled with water. Realizing I needed air, I turned over in the water, and opened my eyes again. Everything was blurry, but I could make out a canopy of dark foliage. Everything was dark and murky, and I felt icy rain hitting my face.

The current in whatever body of water I was in was strong, and I felt that my limbs were refusing to move. They felt numb and heavy with exhaustion, and I could barely move my hands. Wait. My hand...wasn't I holding something before? Something important...

_'Grace! Oh no where's Grace?'_

Trying my hardest, I was able to lift my head and look around, and for a split second I thought I saw something floating in the water to my right, but it disappeared under the surface a second later. Frantically, I painfully swam over to the spot, and reaching under the water, I grabbed something. Lifting it, I sighed in disappointment when I came up with only a log.

For a long time I just floated with the rough current, searching for something anything, that could be Grace. After a long time, I started to get more tired than I already was. My head was starting to throb, and several places on my body were stinging and sore. In the corner of my eye, I saw something that resembled the shore. It was dark and rainy so I couldn't be sure, but it was my only chance.

I was puzzled though. Hadn't we been swept out to sea before? This looked more like a river to me. Gritting my teeth, I kicked and swam until I could reach out and grab the mossy bank, hauling myself up onto it. Gasping, choking, and coughing I closed my eyes. I was so cold...maybe I could sleep, for just a little while.

Suddenly, an image of a panicked Grace flashed through my mind, and my eyes shot open. I had to look for her! I couldn't just sleep! I'd probably die from hypothermia anyway, which I refused to do. Shaking, I pushed myself up, and eventually was standing after a few failed attempts.

Turning around, I saw that it was indeed a river. It was wide; it's dark waters in turmoil, filled with forest debris. Tall dark trees stood on each bank, their foliage intertwining and completely blocking out the sky. It could be day time and you wouldn't even know it.

I started walking down the bank, following the rushing river. Wherever Grace was, she'd be heading down here, if she hadn't already gotten out of the river. My eyes were constantly searching the river, the banks, and the trees, but nothing was there. I had to stop after a while to throw up water, and my head was spinning, but I was glad that I was at least able to function. A lot of places hurt, especially my side, and I hoped I hadn't broken anything. That would not help me in this situation.

After a while, maybe a half an hour, I started to wonder where exactly this place was. Even if I had miraculously survived, how had I gotten out of that whirlpool? How did I end up in river so fast, considering me and Grace been swept out into the ocean? So many questions filled my head, but there was so answer to them.

Groaning, I closed my eyes, trying to stop the pounding in my head. A second later, I fell myself trip over something and land on some leaves. Gasping in pain, I looked up, preparing myself to get back up.

Only to be met with the sight of an arrow 2 inches away from my face. My mouth open and closed a few times, wanting to scream but yet no sound escaped my lips. My eyes moved up the arrow, the bow, and then to the face behind it. It was a man, very tall, with long hair and piercing gray eyes. He was very fair, and he had this presence that spooked me. But that wasn't the weirdest part. He was wearing…a cloak, with a few pieces of what looked like armor, leather boots and an assortment of other things that made him look like he had just stepped out of a medieval fantasy. But if that wasn't strange enough, and you've probably already noticed this…..but he was pointing a freaking BOW at me, for crying out loud!

What the hell!

But I didn't have time to worry about that just then. The strange man lowered the arrow to right beneath my chin, putting pressure on it, as if signaling for me to rise. Hesitantly I did, my hands up in the air like you see in crime movies. My eyes darting around, I saw a group of other men in a circle formation around us. They were all dressed strangely, pointing arrows at me, their faces stony, all except for one, who had his arm around someone's neck in a headlock. Panicked green eyes stared into mine, making my eyes widen in shock.

Grace.

She struggled, a cloth stuffed in her mouth. Her hands were bound, and she looked very scared. Gritting my teeth, I looked straight into the man's eyes, wanting to scream and shout but my voice would not come.

"O man dôr túliel le?" The man had spoken, but I did not understand a word that he was saying. Bewildered, I just stared at him, shaking my head. His expression still stony, he turned his head slightly, saying something to the men around him but not taking his eyes of me.

"Oh my god…" I gasped, causing him to turn back sharply to me. But I didn't really care. All I could stare at were his ears. His ears… Nearly fainting, I gulped as I felt the arrow prick my skin. What was going on! Suddenly my head started to spin, nausea and exhaustion filling my senses. The world blurred, and I was faintly aware that I was falling, Grace's screams of my name filling my ears.

His ears…..their ears….they were pointed.

_I was laughing. We were laughing. Grace was running ahead of me, smiling and turning with daisies in her hand. The meadow stretched out in front of us, a forest at the edges. Laughing, I was about to catch up to her when I heard footsteps behind us. _

_All I felt was fear, and the urge to flee. Speeding up, I reached out to Grace, trying to reach her when I saw an arrow sprout through her chest. Unable to make a sound I watched in horror as she fell, covered in bruises that I recognized all too well. _

_Meeting her eyes, I did not look away even as I heard the whistle of an arrow through the air. Grace's gaze was clear and unblinking, even as rain washed her blood into the soil. Her lips move, the words said leaving me frozen even as I felt the arrow pierce through me._

"_You let go of my hand."_

My eyes flew open, and I sat up so fast that I think I got whip lash. Gasping, I panted, trying to block out the nightmare. Slowly it started to fade, and my breathing steadied. Looking around, I saw that I was in some type of -again- a medieval-looking small room, the only light filtering through a small iron-barred door. Groaning, I was about to get up and try to figure out where the hell I was.

"Carter?"

Slamming myself against the wall, I glanced around frantically, trying to hold back a shriek. All I could make out was a figure in the corner, opposite to where I was. "Who's there? Show yourself!" I waited, my breath caught in my throat as the figure came closer.

"Carter, Carter it's me. Grace."

Sobbing in relief, I ran over and basically tackled the startled Grace. She was shaking, and I realized I was too. "Grace oh my god Grace! You're here, you're here…I thought…" I couldn't continue, afraid that I would start to cry. She hugged me back, and we just stood there for a minute.

Grace looked at me, her eyes wide. "I was so scared...I woke up on the shore, and I couldn't find you Carter! I was about to start walking down the bank you look for you when I walked into a group of men, who all instantly pointed arrows at me. They tied me up and gagged me, starting to drag me off into the woods when you suddenly stumbled in and….well you know what happened after that."

I nodded, and was about to speak when I collapsed to the floor from a wave of nausea. Crawling into the corner, I started to throw up whatever was in my stomach, which was mainly water. I started to shiver, and my head felt like it was splitting open. Breathing hard, I looked up to see Grace kneeling beside me, concern in her eyes.

"Carter….I'm so sorry! This is all my fault. If I hadn't called you…..none of this ever would have happened! We wouldn't have been washed away to who knows where, almost drown and then get kidnapped…..I'm sorry. And now you're sick…" She looked like she was about to start bawling, so I quickly got up to comfort her, only to collapse again.

"Carter! Carter!" My vision had started to get hazy, and my head was throbbing so bad that I thought it was splitting. My body was really hot, and it was becoming hard to breath. The aches and pains in my body had become worse than before, and I felt like screaming.

Through my hazy vision I saw Grace run towards the barred door, gripping the bars and yelling something. She looked frantic and panicked, and she kept glancing back at me. "Someone, please! Help! She's hurt, please!" But no one came. Apparently no one was guarding us either. Grace tried for a while longer, but to no avail. I saw her hurrying towards me, but my vision started spinning faster and faster, until it completely disappeared into the dark void of unconsciousness.

**How did I do? Did you like it, love it, loathe it, hate it, blah blah blahhhh? Feedback is appreciated ^^ Even if it is slightly harsh feedback! But flaming is not appreciated. Besides that, just leave reviews! Thank youz!**


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